Door latch



oct. 26,1948. A.. J. HARRis 2,452,461

DOOR LATCH Filed Jan. 11, 1946 Illz'e/llor 45A J HARK/5 WWW PatentedOct. 26, 1948 UITED sTATEs PATENT oFFlcE DOOR LATCH Asa J. Harris, LongBeach, Calif. Application January 11, 1946, Serial No. .640,437

1 Claim.

My invention relates Vto improvements in door latches, the primaryobject in view being to DIO- vide means of simple form and inexpensiveconstruction for Iautomatically latc'hing the usual hinged door open.

Another object i-s to provide an automatic door latch for holding a dooropen and latched to a wall, and which is `operative to unlatchingposition by turning of the door knob in opposite directions,respectively.

Still another object lis to p-rovide means of the character and for thepurpose above set forth which is quiet in operati-on Iand is equipped tofunction `as a door bumper.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presentlyappearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustratedin the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail in the succeedingdescription, and dened in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a View partly in vertical section and partly in sideelevation illustrating my improved door latch in the preferredembodiment thereof,

Figure 2 `is a View in front elevation of the latching member `and themounting therefor together with the bumper sleeve,

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1 with the parts shown in latchng position, and I Figure 4 is a similarView with the parts shown in unlatching position.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, according to my invention, asillustrated, a vertically swingable latch member I, with a straightshank 2 and a downturned hooked end 3 is mounted on the wall 4 towardwhich a conventional hinged door 5 opens, and so that said memberextends normally from said wall endwise and in horizontal alignment withythe inside door knob 6 when said door in fully open.

The mounting for the latch member I comprises a wall plate l, preferablycircular, and attached to the wall Il by screws i8, and a trough-likeaxial lug 9 extending forwardly from said plate 'I horizontally and inwhich an enlarged, at bottomed boss I0 on the rear end yof the latchmember I is pivod by a transverse pin I I, so that the b-oss I0 coactswith the bottom of the lug 9 to maintain the latch member I horizontal,normally, while, at the same time, said latch member is swingableupwardly on said pin.

A recess I2 is provided in Ithe inside door knob 6, in the centerthereof, with a bottom keeper ledge I3 extending, in the normal positionof said knob 6, horizontally across the entrance to the recess I2 andwhich is provided `with a forwardly and upwardly inclined front cam faceI4. Above the ledge I3, the recess I2 is of inverted T-shape provi-dinga Icenter top notch I5, with inwardly converging side walls I6, and apair of diametrically opposite side notches I8, I8.

A resilient bumper sleeve I'I, lof rubber, or the like, is fitted at oneend over the lug 9 :to extend forwardly from -said lug and be engaged bythe inside knob 6.

The manner in which the described invention operates, will be readilyunderstood. When the door 5 is `opened and the inside knob 6, andconsequently the outside knob I9, are in normal position, the hooked end3 of the latch member I enters the recess I2, is engaged by :the camface i4 of the ledge I'3 :and said member is cammed upwardly by saidface to fall, when the door is fully opened, behind the ledge I3, sothat the door 5 is latch-ed open and to the wall 4. As--the latch memberI falls, the inside knob 6 abuts the bum-per sleeve II, it beingunderstood that said sleeve is properly dimensioned f-or that purpose,and said knob 5 is conned between said sleeve and the hooked lend 3 ofthe latch member I. The bumper sleeve I'I, as will be clear, operates insilence latching of the door 5 open. The bevel sided notch I-5 providesa clearance for the hooked end 3 of the latch member I when said memberis cammed upwardly in the recess I2, and in -cooperation with Isaid -end3 functions to hold the knob 5 `aga-inst being turned so as to move 4theledge I3 out of operative position until the latch member I falls. Byturning the knob 5 in either direction, through manipulation -of theoutside knob I9, in the usual manner, the ledge I3 may be moved to oneside or the other of the hooked end 3 and one or the other of thenotches I8, I8', as the case may be, rotated int-o alignment with thehooked end 3 so that the latch member I is Iin unlatching position andthe recess I2 may be moved from over said end 3 by movement of the door5 toward shut position.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention wi-thout further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is sus- -ceptible ofmodification Without departingv from the inventive concept, and right isherein reserved to such modifications as fall Within the scope of theappended claim.

What I claim is:

In a door catch for latching a door open and t-o a Wall, a hollow doorknob adapted to be mounted on the door for Iturning in yoppositedirections and forming a. recess in said knob, a, latch member having ahook end adapted to enter rsaid recess when said door is opened, and ia,mounting for said latch adapted to be attached to said Wall and in whichthe other end -of said member is pivoted for Vertical swinging of saidmember, said recess having a bottom camming ledge therein over whichsaid hook end may ride upwardly to drop behind the same and latch saiddoor open, and saidV recess having 'a front top notch tting said hookend when the same rides up- Wardly whereby turning of said knob isprevented until said hook end drops behind said ledge said 4 recessbeing Widen-ed between said ledge and notch to permit said hook end tobe withdrawn from said recess when the knob is turned in oppositedirections.

ASA J. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,110 Roselius Sept. 4, 1888711,696 Cook Oct. 21, 1902

